Megliola: Hopedale's Strom making his impact on the diamond

Ian Strom made "the greatest catch I've ever seen," says Ken Harring, who has been coaching college baseball for 20 years, the last 10 at UMass-Lowell. It turned out to be the catch that wasn't.

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By Lenny MegliolaSpecial to the News

MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

By Lenny MegliolaSpecial to the News

Posted Jul. 5, 2014 at 6:22 PM
Updated Jul 5, 2014 at 6:25 PM

By Lenny MegliolaSpecial to the News

Posted Jul. 5, 2014 at 6:22 PM
Updated Jul 5, 2014 at 6:25 PM

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Ian Strom made "the greatest catch I’ve ever seen," says Ken Harring, who has been coaching college baseball for 20 years, the last 10 at UMass-Lowell. It turned out to be the catch that wasn’t.

More important to Harring was what the play said about Strom, the former Hopedale High standout who just finished his freshman season playing outfield for the River Hawks.

"We were playing at Albany," says Harring. "Ian crashed into a chain-link fence at full speed and (his body) kind of folded. He made the catch, then wound up rolling on the ground." The umpire went to see if Strom, who was writhing in pain, had held the ball. Well, yes and no. The impact was such that Strom had been separated from his glove, which rested next to him.

The ball was still in it. But the ump ruled no catch. It was the right call. But to Harring the play exemplified "How fearless Ian is. He’s a tough kid with a football mentality." Strom was also a gridiron standout in high school.

Strom made an impact — less painful than that catch — all season. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Strom hit .290 and was a first-team America East Conference all-star selection. He also pitches.

Harring sees big things for Strom the next three years. "He’s a tremendous athlete. His fastball is 88-89 (mph). He gets down the baseline. On a drag bunt he was timed in 3.7 [seconds]."

This summer Strom is playing for the Worcester Bravehearts of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. "It’s very competitive playing every day," says Strom. "But it’s nice to just play ball and not worry about doing homework."

"He’s a rising star," says Bravehearts general manager Dave Peterson, a 1998 graduate of Medway High where he was on the golf team. "Ian’s making waves and might make the all-star team. His ties to Central Mass. made sense to have him on the team."

It made sense to Strom too. "I was supposed to play for a team in Pittsfield, but I wanted to be closer to home and find a job." He’s been landscaping mostly.

The Futures League is in its first season in Worcester. The Bravehearts are coached by 30-year-old Justin Edwards, a native of Wheeling, W. Va., who played in several independent leagues. "I didn’t know anything about any of our players, but in the first week we found out we had a pretty good one in Ian. He’s great defensively. He can fly. He’s very fast. He’ll steal a lot of bases."

The modest Strom, who has played center and right field, will only allow that "I’m pretty fast."

Page 2 of 2 - Strom attracted some colleges for football, "but it didn’t pan out," he says. He wound up as a baseball walk-on at UMass-Lowell. Two years ago Strom was playing for the Milford American Legion team, coached by Brian Macchi. "He said, ‘You’ve got to come watch this kid play the outfield,’ " says Harring. "There were stories about the catches he made."

Strom says Harring "saw me pitch in one of my Legion games and recruited me as a pitcher. He said I could walk on." This was "a whole new game" for the former Dual Valley Conference All-Star. "Players were competing against each other. It was a huge change from Central Mass. baseball."

Although he caught a lot of attention throughout the America East Conference, Strom wasn’t thrilled with his .290 average. "I’ve got to work harder," he says.

Harring isn’t concerned. He’ll continue to use Strom on the mound and in the outfield. "His sophomore year will be a good test. The book is out on him now."

Once a walk-on, Harring says he gave Strom "a good chunk of scholarship money. He deserved it. I think he’s going to play at the next level. Some scouts were extremely impressed."

Strom credits his Hopedale High coach, the legendary Joe Small, for much of his success. "He helped me in more ways than baseball, like having accountability. He taught us to play the right way, and respect the game."

Baseball got an early grip on Strom:"Sitting in the living room as a kid and tossing a ball with my dad (Christopher). That’s how I learned to throw."

Peterson says, "Ian scored the Bravehearts’ first run and hit the first home run." The game was on local TV.

Looks like Ian Strom will be getting considerably more exposure in the coming years.